Dr. Anthony Fauci Explains Why His First Pitch Was Just a Bit Outside  —  He threw a baseball for the first time in decades.  He woke up with a sore arm.  ‘And you saw what happened,’ he says.  —  Anthony Fauci doesn't want to make excuses.  But he can explain.  —  “I completely destroyed my arm!” he said.

A Judge Won't Force Federal Officers In Portland To Identify Themselves When Making Arrests  —  WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Friday denied a request by the Oregon attorney general's office for an order that would require federal law enforcement officers in Portland to identify themselves …

Electoral College: Florida Moves From Toss Up to Lean Democrat  —  Given its track record in presidential campaigns over the last 20 years, it's hard to think of Florida as anything other than a Toss Up.  Since 2000, the winner of the state has never carried it by more than 5 points.

His approval faltering, Republicans in battleground Houston districts start to distance from Trump  —  During Troy Nehls' recent bid for the Republican nomination in one of Texas' battleground congressional districts, the Fort Bend County sheriff prominently displayed his support for President Trump across his campaign website.

All Your Most Paranoid Transfer of Power Questions, Answered  —  What happens if Donald Trump refuses to accept the results of the election?  —  Can Donald Trump continue as president even if he loses the election in November?  —  Trump's refusal to say that he would accept the results …

Cutting UI benefits by $400 per week will significantly harm U.S. families, jobs, and growth  —  3.4 million fewer jobs will be created over the next year as a result  —  Last month, we estimated the effect of allowing the $600 supplement to weekly unemployment insurance (UI) …

A Vaccine Reality Check  —  Editor's Note: The Atlantic is making vital coverage of the coronavirus available to all readers.  Find the collection here.  —  Nearly five months into the pandemic, all hopes of extinguishing COVID-19 are riding on a still-hypothetical vaccine.

The Shocking Secret Past of One of QAnon's Most Toxic Stars  —  QAnon conspiracy theorist Tommy Gelati loves to talk.  Just not about this.  —  Trash-talking QAnon conspiracy theorist Tommy Gelati has a long list of celebrities he thinks belong in prison—or who might secretly be there already.

“Trump Could Not Be More on the Wrong Side”: New Poll Shows Trump's Black Lives Matter Protest Response Could Cost Him 2020  —  Exclusive polling suggests the protests changed Americans' minds so quickly, and so profoundly, that Trump planted himself even further on the wrong side of public opinion than previously understood.

Democrats slam Trump administration's ‘generic’ warning on election interference  —  The Trump administration's most pointed public warning to date about foreign election interference received a partisan pounding on Friday from Democratic leaders, who argued it wrongly places China and Iran …

Pro-Trump OAN attacks bans of “the new mainstream” QAnon: “The deep state appears to be fighting back”  —  Laura Ingraham's show used Rep. Ocasio-Cortez's speech condemning sexism to fearmonger about Democrats  —  Twitter just cracked down on QAnon for causing harm.

Trump's most important 2016 donor is sitting out 2020  — Robert and Rebekah Mercer ranked among President Donald Trump's most influential backers in 2016.  But they've all but abandoned the embattled president and aren't likely to help him in the home stretch for 2020, five people who know the media-averse Mercers tell Insider.

Republican Party officials hid COVID-19 mask purchases by labeling them ‘building maintenance’ in federal disclosures  — The Republican National Committee in a new federal filing this week said it spent $14,000 on “building maintenance.”  In reality, it was disguising a purchase of face masks.

How the U.S. Compares With the World's Worst Coronavirus Hot Spots  —  This chart shows the countries with the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the world right now.  With its cases surging since mid-June, the United States is squarely in the top 10.  —  Leading the outbreak now are countries …

An Elite Group Of Scientists Tried To Warn Trump Against Lockdowns In March  —  John Ioannidis's controversial studies claim that the coronavirus isn't that big a threat.  Before the Stanford scientist did any of them, he wanted to take that message to the White House.  —  Copy

Trump vs. Biden: Who's Winning the Money Race in Your ZIP Code?  —  Estimated donors by ZIP code, April through June  —  ◄ MORE TRUMP DONORS MORE BIDEN DONORS ►  —  Notes: The map shows which candidate had more individual donors in each ZIP code from April 1, 2020, to June 30, 2020.

Held back  —  As parents realize how badly the U.S. botched the next school year, we're furious  —  The happiest day in my household since the pandemic started — maybe the only truly happy one — was the Wednesday in mid-March when we found out on the New York City Department of Education website …

As Trump rages, open defiance of him is mounting.  Here are 7 examples.  —  In a revealing aside, President Trump told chief propagandist Sean Hannity on Thursday night that he traces much of the overwhelming enthusiasm for his reelection now sweeping the country back to his Mount Rushmore speech commemorating Independence Day.

LeBron James joins push to turn out ex-felon vote in Florida  —  TALLAHASSEE — A group founded by NBA superstar LeBron James and other Black athletes and entertainers is stepping into the fight to register Florida voters with felony records, saying it will help pay court debts and fees …

18 Arrested, Facing Federal Charges After Weeknight Protests at Federal Courthouse in Portland  —  Charges include assaulting federal officers, arson, and damaging government property  —  PORTLAND, Ore.—U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams announced today that 18 people have been arrested …

Virginia evicts Confederate monuments from its state Capitol  —  RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia has removed from its iconic state capitol the busts and a statue honoring Confederate generals and officials.  That includes a bronze statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee positioned in the same spot where he stood …

The New York Times has a misogyny problem, too  —  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez makes some people very uncomfortable, and apparently that includes some editors and reporters at the New York Times.  —  So rather than report on how Ocasio-Cortez's riveting, viral speech on the House floor …

Sultry Nights and Magnolia Trees: New York City Is Now Subtropical  —  Winter is warmer and summer is sweltering, with torrential afternoon downpours.  What's next, palm trees?  —  It was the fig trees that tipped him off.  Something was very unusual at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

Conservatives Are Winning The Supreme Court's Most Important Fight: Suppressing The Vote  —  Enabling widespread voter suppression is shaping up to be the Roberts Court's most consequential accomplishment, because every other aspect of the Republican agenda depends on it.

The Battle for Joe Biden  —  He's not listening to Twitter.  So who does have the candidate's ear?  —  For months, President Trump's re-election team has been test-driving possible lines of attack against Joe Biden: He's sleepy.  He's creepy.  He's corrupt.  He's soft on China.  He's soft in the head.

A&E Has Lost Half Its Viewers Since Dropping ‘Live PD’  —  Network's prime-time viewership was up 4% this year before it canceled its hit police reality show, Nielsen data show  —  Ratings for A&E Network have plummeted since it canceled the hit police reality show “Live PD” on June 10 …

The Future of Nonconformity  —  Where freethinkers go to fight.  —  Like other realms, American intellectual life has been marked by a series of exclusions.  The oldest and vastest was the exclusion of people of color from the commanding institutions of our culture.

FDA says at least 77 brands of hand sanitizers may be toxic  —  Regulators say the brands contain dangerous levels of methanol, which can lead to blindness, hospitalization and even death  —  Federal regulators have recalled dozens of hand sanitizers — many widely available through Walmart …

THE FEDS HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF SNATCHING PEOPLE UP.  ONLY NOW THEY ARE TARGETING MIDDLE-CLASS WHITE PEOPLE  —  Federal agents have been unfairly arresting Black and brown people for decades.  Now that white Portlanders are seeing it up close and personal, they are outraged.  Better late than never.